At CEDEC 2010, Toshiba presented a naked-eye 3D display using integral imaging, which enables 3D images to be seen from 9 distinct viewing angles without requiring 3D glasses.
The conventional frame sequential method, which requires 3D glasses, utilizes the parallax between two images for the left and right eyes. By contrast, integral imaging can reproduce 3D images even without special glasses, by producing lots of rays of light projected at different angles. Due to the multiple parallax, the picture seen changes as the user’s viewpoint moves. A feature of this system is that it causes very little eye fatigue, even if used for a long time.
“This display is achieved by using a lenticular lens sheet on a high-definition LCD panel. This method uses images from nine directions to create one 3D picture. Technically, this is called a nine-parallax 3D image, and there are nine pixels underneath each lens. This creates a 3D perspective by enabling each pixel to be observed through the lens from a different direction.”
Because integral imaging produces a multi-parallax display using spatial division, one problem is that the resolution of the on screen 3D image is correspondingly lower than the displays pixel count. But this problem can be solved, by combining the system with a super-high-definition screen using low-temperature polysilicon technology. The result is a high-resolution, large-screen 3D display.
“One problem is that it’s necessary to create content, such as images taken from nine directions. So the question is how to minimize the burden of creating that content. Also, as the display is made smaller and viewed from closer up, it becomes more difficult to design. So I think that, from now on, we need to keep working on these issues.”
Toshiba expects the new display will be used for advertising and games, and would ultimately like it to be used in TVs and PC monitors.
*Toshiba Mobile Display prototyped a 21-inch naked-eye 3Ddisplay.
Related Links :
– Press Release